''How Men Propose'' is a 1913 American silent short

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

film, usually credited to

Lois Weber Florence Lois Weber (June 13, 1879 – November 13, 1939) was an American silent film director, screenwriter, producer and actress. She is identified in some historical references as among "the most important and prolific film directors in the e ...

and

Phillips Smalley Wendell Phillips Smalley (August 7, 1865 – May 2, 1939) was an American silent film director and actor. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York, he was the grandson of Wendell Phillips; he was the son of George Washburn Smalle ...

as directors and to Weber as writer and producer, although their definite authorship cannot be confirmed. The film has recently not been included in Weber's filmography by scholars, and the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

, while listing it as one of Weber's films notes that "the director is unknown, but may be Lois Weber." It was produced by the

Crystal Film Company A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macrosco ...

and distributed by the

Universal Film Manufacturing Company Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American film production and distribution company headquartered at the Universal Studios complex in Universal City, ...

Cast

Margarita Fischer Margarita Fisher (née Fischer, February 12, 1886 – March 11, 1975) was an American actress in silent motion pictures and stage productions. Newspapers sometimes referred to her as "Babe" Fischer. Early life Margarita Fischer was born on Fe ...

as Grace Darling (uncredited) * Chester Barnett (uncredited) * Phillips Smalley (uncredited) * Lois Weber (uncredited)

Plot

Three friends, without knowing it, successively propose to a woman named Grace Darling, all three receiving a photo from her as a sign of acceptance. Back at their shared apartment, the men proudly present the photos of what each of them thinks to be his future wife. Realizing that they have been duped, the men attempt to confront the woman who, in the meantime, has left her apartment, conveying through her maid a letter to each of them. The men learn that Grace Darling is a journalist writing an article on male courtship who has only been doing research on the question "how men propose".

Trivia

''How Men Propose'' is the earliest film with

in a starring role that is available on DVD. The film and Fisher's performance in particular have been described as "a playful energetic assertion of female power in which Margarita ishershows herself to be a gifted actress, entirely familiar with the unique requirements of performing on film."{{Cite book, title=Margarita Fisher: A Biography of the Silent Film Star, last=St. Romain, first=Theresa, publisher=McFarland Publishers, year=2008, isbn=978-0786469338, location=Jefferson, North Carolina/London, pages=52

References

1913 films American black-and-white films Silent American comedy short films 1913 comedy films 1910s American films